Entertainment doesn't only come from songs and dances: Director Prakash Jha (Interview)

Audiences derive pleasure from all kinds of films, ace director Prakash Jha feels, pointing out that entertainment does not mean just "songs, dances and comedy".

"People enjoy all kinds of things. Films like 'Kahaani' and 'Raajneeti' provide tremendous entertainment value. Entertainment value does not necessarily come from songs, dances and comedy. It comes from seriously entertaining subjects as well," Jha told IANS in an exclusive interview.

If films that entertain are important, so are films on core topics, said Jha who started his feature film making journey with the 1984 "Hip Hip Hurray". The film was about a computer engineer who takes up a temporary job of a football coach, moulds a bunch of hooligans into good players and leads them to victory.

Often described as a serious filmmaker delving into eclectic issues in his offerings, the director says apart from the topic, a strong storyline is equally vital for him.

"Topics are social...I don't pick up topics and make films on them. I have a story...a great emotional story," said Jha who has proved his point with films like "Daamul", "GangaaJal", "Aarakshan" and "Chakravyuh".

His forthcoming film "Satyagraha" too deals with corruption, told through a businessman and a grieving father.

Talking about "Satyagraha", Jha said: "This is the story of a father and son. I found the story and set it in today's world of protest. How someone who is absolutely capitalist and has greed on his mind all the time meets this old man who has lost his son. These two people come together and realise that even though their values don't meet, yet there's a bond. That prospers and both of them change."

Just like his earlier films, "Satyagraha", which has a host of actors like Amitabh Bachchan, Ajay Devgn, Arjun Rampal and Kareena Kapoor, involved a lot of pre-production work.

"We shot it exactly within the schedule which we had planned...not one day extra. We had fun while shooting. We do a lot of pre-production and a lot of preparation goes into it," he said.

For a filmmaker, the biggest challenge is to strike a balance between the audience's reaction and critics' ratings.

"That is the challenge...you have to tell a good story and while telling it, if there are things that touch you...that is the whole idea," he said.

"Satyagraha" is releasing Aug 23.

(Anjuri Nayar can be contacted at anjuri.n@ians.in)